Monday, August 30, 2010

Grüner Veltliner is a grape variety - grown primarily in Austria - which has become very popular in the US recently. It is a particularly food-friendly wine. A lot of it is consumed in the Wine Taverns of Vienna (Heuriger) in the year or the following year, when the wine was made. Grüner Veltliner accounts for about 1/3 of Austria’s wine production. Most of it is grown in the northeast of the country, along the Danube to the west of Vienna, in Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal. In the deeper clay soils in the Weinviertel to the northeast of Vienna Grüner Veltliner develops more of a spicy, peppery character.

Also, the Czech Republic, particularly Southern Moravia close to the Austrian border, produces some Grüner Veltliners of notable quality. Grüner Veltliner accounts for approximately 11% of Czech wine.

Wine producer Austria

Austria has about 50.000 hectares of vineyard, equivalent to about half of Germany’s total vineyard area. Almost all of it in the east of the country. Austria can be divided into 4 main wine regions, which are split into 16 districts. The 4 main wine regions are Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) with 30.000 hectares, Burgenland with 15.000 hectares, Steirerland (Styria) with 4.000 hectares and Wien (Vienna) with 600 hectares.

Picture: The Wine Regions of Austria

There are currently more than 30 varieties of grape admissible for the production of quality and "Prädikatswein" in Austria. In terms of white grapes, Grüner Veltliner is the dominant grape in Austria, producing generally dry wines ranging from short-lived Heuriger wines to Spätleses capable of long life. The ancient Welschriesling variety is used in the noble rot dessert wines of the Neusiedlersee; it also makes undistinguished dry wines for drinking young, as does Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner).

Zweigelt and Blauburger were bred at Klosterneuburg in the 1920s and now account for nearly half of Austria's red wine. Blaufränkisch and Portugieser are the traditional red grapes of the region. Saint Laurent came from France in the mid-19th century, and seems to have substantial Pinot Noir parentage.

Falstaff Grüner Veltliner Grand Prix 2010

Falstaff, the leading Austrian wine journal, has released the results of its Falstaff Gruener Veltliner Grand Prix 2010. The Falstaff jury considered only wines (1) with not more than 13 percent alcohol, (2) that were dry, i.e. with not more than 4 grams remaining sugar per liter, (3) that were not aged in oak and (4) that did not show any signs of the noble rot, botrytis. Here are the 3 winners and all winemakers that received a gold medal.

The 1. Place goes to Karl Holzapflel from the Weingut Holzapfel in Jochingen the Wachau. The Wauchau is the part of the Danube valley around the Melk Abbey, with steep terraces that produce world-class Grüner Veltliner and Riesling wines.

The Holzapfel winery is in the “Lesehof” , an architectural jewel build 700 years ago, when most of the vineyards in the Wachau region belonged to the church; the Lesehof was the grape pressing center for the whole area. The Holzapfel Estate vineyard area totals 14 hectares, situated in several outstanding sites, including Achleiten, Vorderseiber, Weitenberg, Klaus and Kollmitz.

The Winzerhof Dockner of Josef Dockner is located in the Kremstal area, also in Lower Austria. Th Kremstal region lies downstream of the Wachau region, centred aound the town of Krems. The valley opens out a little bit and the climate is a bit warmer allowing more red wine to be produced, but otherwise Kremstal is quite similar to the Wachau.

The total vineyard area of the Winzerhof Dockner is 42 hectares, including parcels of sites such as Frauengrund, Lusthausberg, Oberfeld and Rosengarten. 60% of the vineyard area is planted with white varieties. Josef Dockner also produces noble sweet wines, such as ice wine and straw wine.

Euro 6.00

www.dockner.at

3. Place: 2009 engelreich, Weingut Ludwig Neumayer, Traisental

Weingut Neumayer is located in Inzersdorf ob der Traisen in the Traisental. The Traisental with its center Herzogenburg, south of Krems, was designated as a wine district only in 1995. Mostly Grüner Veltliner is grown here.

Weingut Ludwig Neumayer is the leading wine producer in the region, with clients including Alain Ducasse. The vineyard area totals 9 hectares, most of this in small terraced parcels in the Engelreich, Gießgraben, Hendlgraben, Rafasetzen, Rothenbart, Seigarten, Spielberg and Zwirch sites, which are spread around like a mosaic.

Euro 9.80

www.weinvomstein.at

Gruener Veltliner Wines With 5 Stars

The Falstaff print edition of 05/2010 contains a list of the other 80 or so wines that were awarded 5,4,3 and 2 stars, with background Information, including tasting notes. Here are those wines that were in the 5 star group.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

American and German Winemakers Among the 7 Winners of Trophies of Excellence of the Riesling Du Monde Competition 2010

On May 13-15, 2010, the Riesling Du Monde wine competition took place in Strasbourg France. The Jury awarded 7 Trophies of Excellence. It also awarded 71 gold medals and 72 silver medals.Winners of the Trophies of Excellence include 2 German and American winemakers.7 Trophies of Excellence

I know the Weingut Domdechant Werner that is among the 7 winners of trophies of excellency, for their wine:

Hochheimer Domdechaney Riesling Auslese 2007

quite well.

The Domdechant Werner Estate is one of the leading wine producer in Hochheim, Rheingau. Even though it belongs to the Rheingau, Hochheim is actually situated along the Main river, just 30 Minutes away by S-Bahn from Frankfurt am Main central railway station. Coming from Frankfurt, you arrive in vineyards and it is a beautiful walk up the vineyards to the village and the Franz Kuenstler and Domdechant Werner Estates at the village entrance.

The Domdechant Werner Estate cultivates about 14 ha/35 acres of vines, 98% of which are planted with Riesling and 2% Spätburgunder. It produces wines of all styles, ranging from dry to lusciously sweet wines. The finest dry Riesling wines are designated Erstes Gewächs, while the finest sweet wines bear the traditional Prädikat Auslese. The red Spätburgunder wines are carefully aged in mature oak casks. Some 60-70% of the wines are exported to about 25 countries around the world, making the estate a "global player" on a small scale. Domestically, the wines are sold to leading hotels and restaurants, as well as upscale wine shops.

In 1780, the father of Dr. Franz Werner, the renowned Domdechant (dean) of the Cathedral of Mainz, acquired from the Count York the Hochheim wine estate.

Domdechant Werner is credited with having saved the Cathedral from being demolished during the French Revolution and was responsible for its reconstruction. The Estate is now owned by Dr. Franz Werner Michel, the seventh generation of the founding family. The eighth (and possibly ninth) generation is now on the scene, as Dr. Michel's daughter, Catharina Mauritz, mother of three sons, has also become involved in the Estate's management. Both Dr. Franz Werner Michel and Catharina Mauritz were present at the tasting.

The other interesting winner as far as I am concerned is the Anthony Road Company in the Finger Lakes area for the 2008 Finger Lakes Trockenbeerenauslese.

American Wine and the Finger Lakes

The US is the fourth largest wine producing country in the world following France, Italy, and Spain. The US has produced wine for over 300 years. It is the home of several native species of grape, but it was the introduction of the European Vitis vinifera that led to the growth of the American wine industry. Today, all 50 States make wine, although not all States grow their own fruit.

New York State is with Washington State the second largest wine producer among the American States. But both Washington State and New York State dispose only of a bit more than 10.000 hectares.

The Finger Lakes is located in Upstate New York, south of Lake Ontario. The Finger Lakes encompass eleven glacial lakes, but the area around Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, and Cayuga Lakes contain the vast majority of vineyard plantings. The Finger Lakes include 4,452 hectares of vineyards, making it New York State's largest wine growing region.

Picture: New York State with Finger Lakes

Botrytized Noble-sweet Wines

Mother Nature, under normal circumstances, produces dry wines in the vineyard - everywhere in the world. All the sugar in the grapes at harvest disappears during fermentation and no sweetness remains in the wine. There are, however, plenty of sweet wines made around the world.

Different techniques exist to make a wine sweet. One of them is to let the noble rot – botrytis cinerea – suck the water out of the grape, so that the degree of sugar in the grapes is extra-ordinary high. Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that under the right conditions attacks already-ripe grapes, shrivelling them, concentrating the sweetness and acidity. The grapes end up looking disgusting but they make profound sweet white wines. The 2007 Finger Lakes Trockenbeerenauslese was produce with this method.

Botrytis cinerea is the key to the success of many of the world’s most famous noble sweet wines. The most famous ones are the Sauternes in France, the Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese in Germany and in Austria, the Austria Ausbruch and the Tokaji from Hungary.

No doubt, the first noble rot wines were created by accident - both the Hungarians and the Germans have similar stories of how the harvest was delayed for some reason, but the over-ripe grapes were vinified anyway and then the resulting wine found to be delicious.

Anthony Road Wine Company

Ann and John Martini opened the winery in 1990. It is on the west shore of Seneca Lake in the town of Torrey, about 10 miles south of Geneva.

Johannes Reinhardt is the winemaker at Anthony Road Vineyard. He joined the winery in 2000. Reinhardt is a native of Germany whose family has been in the wine business since the 1400s.

The wine was released in the Martini-Rheinhardt Selection Series. These are special wines named after the Anthony Road’s vineyard manager, Peter Martini, and winemaker Johannes Reinhardt to honor the collaboration between the vineyard and the winery.

2008 was a good year for noble rot in the Finger Lakes region, with some rain, enough heat and fog or dew in the morning at harvest time.

The 0.375 bottle costs US$ 100.

Schiller Wine - Related Postings

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions - I have Counted Five

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Klaus Wittauer, Virginia-based importer of Austrian wines, has brought the Netzl Estate to the American market. Weingut Netzl is one of Austria’s leading producers. Last year, in the 2009/10 Red Wine Austria Falstaff, Weingut Netzl was the winner in the Syrah category. I was happy to meet Franz and Christine Netzl at the Curious Grape in the Washington DC area. They have just started to export to the US. This was their first visit. Welcome Franz and Christine Netzl

Wine producer Austria

Austria has about 50.000 hectares of vineyard, equivalent to about half of Germany’s total vineyard area. Almost all of it in the east of the country. Austria can be divided into 4 main wine regions, which are split into 16 districts. The 4 main wine regions are Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) with 30.000 hectares, Burgenland with 15.000 hectares, Steirerland (Styria) with 4.000 hectares and Wien (Vienna) with 600 hectares.

Picture: The Wine Regions of Austria

There are currently more than 30 varieties of grape admissible for the production of quality and "Prädikatswein" in Austria. In tems of white grapes, Grüner Veltliner is the dominant grape in Austria, producing generally dry wines ranging from short-lived Heuriger wines to Spätleses capable of long life. The ancient Welschriesling variety is used in the noble rot dessert wines of the Neusiedlersee; it also makes undistinguished dry wines for drinking young, as does Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner).

Zweigelt and Blauburger were bred at Klosterneuburg in the 1920s and now account for nearly half of Austria's red wine. Blaufränkisch and Portugieser are the traditional red grapes of the region.Saint Laurent came from France in the mid-19th century, and seems to have substantial Pinot Noir parentage.

Carnuntum

The Carnuntum region, which covers an area south east of Vienna and south of the Danube, has a long tradition of viticulture stretching back to Celtic times. It experienced an upswing under the Romans. At some point it was the occasional residence of Roman Caesars. The Carnuntum is rich in Roman remains, including an amphitheatre and a roman palace.

Picture: The Wine Regions of Austria

Weingut Netzl

The Netzl Estate is located in the small town of Göttlesbrunn in the Carnuntum. The family has been involved in wine production since 1820. Franz and Christine Netzl are regarded as one of those responsible for the red wine boom in this region. Weingut Markowitsch and Weingut Glatzer are two producers from Goettlesbrunn that are already well established in the US.

The vineyard area totals 20 hectares, with holdings in the Aubühel, Bärnreiser, Haidacker, Holzweg, Kräften and Neuberg sites. 80% of the area is planted with the red varieties Zweigelt, St. Laurent, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, while the remaining 20% is planted with the white varieties Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Welschriesling. A bottle-fermented sparkling wine is also produced. Annual production is around 80.000 bottles of wine.

What Klaus, Christine and Franz Poured

Here is what Klaus Wittauer and Franz and Christine Netz poured, with Klaus’ notes.

2008 Carnuntina White

50% Gruener Veltliner and 50 % Welschriesling

This is the perfect everyday white wine. Greenish yellow like straw with a bright rim, green apples, refreshing nose like lemon, juice and stimulating acidity on the palate, simply fun to drink. Serve as an aperitif with light appetizers, vegetarian dishes or with Asian food. Bring this wine to your next picnic.

2008 Carnuntina Red

40% Zweigelt, 40% Blaufraenkisch and 20% Merlot

An easy drinking red blend with ruby garnet and youthful reflexes, red berries in the nose and herbal nuances, fresh and pleasing palate, smooth and ripe tannins. Excellent with meat dishes like pork and chicken, Italian style pasta Bolognese or with a creamy sauce.

2007 Rubin Carnuntum Zweigelt Selection

100% Zweigelt

A dark ruby-garnet with youthful reflexes, dark, ripe cherry on the nose, loads of fruit, berries and juice on the palate, harmonious toasting, balanced and intensive ripe tannins, a wine with charm and elegance. Serve with dark meat like lamb, beef or game, chicken in a red wine sauce, cheese or nuts.

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Christine and Franz Netzl

2007 Edles Tal

60% Zweigelt, 30% Merlot, 10% Syrah

Named after the vineyard Edles Tal, which meansnoble valley. A Zweigelt blend with new world influences, dark ruby garnet, fine nuances of spice, delicious fruit and well balanced. Pair with dark meat, lamb, beef or game. Also goes well with a selection of different kinds of cheeses.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

One of the Fathers of the German Red Wine Revolution: Weingut Huber in Baden

I had the pleasure to participate – with the Weinfreunde Hochheim – in a wine tasting at Weingut Huber in Baden. Weingut Huber is one of the leading German red wine producers.

Baden

Baden is Germany’s most southerly and - with 16,000 hectares (39,300 acres) under vine – third largest wine region. Despite its size and the quality of its wines, it is not well known outside of Germany, because it exports very little.

From north to south, Baden spans approximately 200 kilometers, and is primarily situated on the right bank of the Rhein river. On the left bank is Alsace in France. Lying primarily in the Rhine rift with the protection of Vosges Mountains to the west and the Black Forrest to the east, Baden’s climate is the warmest in Germany Baden is divided into nine districts; one of them is the Breisgau, where the Huber Estate is located.

Picture: Germany's Wine Regions

1. Tauberfranken, in the northeastern outskirts of the region and neighbouring Franconia. The wines are similar to the wines of Franconia, and are sold in the round Bocksbeutel bottle.

2. Badische Bergstrasse, the vineyards is a continuation of the small region Hessische Bergstrasse. This district is situated around the city of Heidelberg.

3. Kraichgau, just to the south of Badische Bergstrasse, and north-east of the city of Karlsruhe.

4. Ortenau, from Baden-Baden to just south of Offenburg is one of the more well-known districts.

5. Breisgau, from just south of Offenburg and to Freiburg. It has the highest average temperature and the number of sunshine hours of the region.

6. Kaiserstuhl, a cluster of hills of volcanic origin northwest of Freiburg with characteristic terraced vineyards.

7. Tuniberg is situated on flatter land just south of Kaiserstuhl and west of Freiburg.

8. Markgräflerland stretches from Freiburg to the Swiss border at Basel, and is known for its easy-drinking Gutedel wines.

9. Bodensee is situated in the southeastern outskirts of the region, on the northwestern shores of Lake Constance.

Baden is known for its Pinot wines, both white and red,which account for more than half of Baden’s wine output. Riesling plays only a minor role. by far the most commonly cultivated single variety is Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) with nearly forty percent of the total vineyard area. Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Chasselas are the main white varieties cultivated, but none more widely than Muller-Thurgau.

Picture: Weingut Huber

In Baden - like in Wuerttemberg - the Wine industry is dominated by wine co-operatives; they account for 85% of the region's production. This explains the low export share. Private winemakers are the exception.Pinot Noir

In the US, Pinot Noir shows best in Oregon and California. The reputation that gets Pinot Noir so much attention, however, is owed to the wines of the Bourgogne in France, where it has probably been cultivated since at least the 4th century. Regardless of where it’s grown, Pinot Noir is not typically a value wine. That is so because Pinot Noir is such a delicate grape that it is difficult and expensive to grow and make into the spectacular wine it can be. It is sensitive to climate and soil, Pinot Noir needs warmth (but not intense heat) to thrive and does well in chalky soils. As the German name implies, it ripens late (spät).

Weingut Huber

Der Feinschmecker, the leading German food and wine journal, carried in the November 2009 issue an article about German red wine. Its message is that Germany has established itself as a serious red wine country during the past 30 years. Der Feinschmecker portraits 10 winemakers behind this wine revolution. One of them is Bernhard Huber. It is not for no reason that he was Gault Millau’s wine producer of the year in 2007.

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Yquem Viehauser

The Huber Estate is located in Malterdingen in the Breisgau area. In 1987 Bernhard Huber and his wife Barbara started their own Estate, leaving the co-operative.

The Huber Estate is a member of the VDP and the Deutsches Barrique-Forum association.

The Huber Wine Portfolio

All Huber wines are dry. He does not produce any botrytised noble sweet wines or ice wines, nor does he stop the fermentation or add Suessreserve to generate sweetness in the finished wine. All his wines are fully fermented, dry and at around 13.5 percent alcohol.

The wine portfolio contains about 2/3 red and 1/3 white wines. All red wines are Spaetburgunder. White wines are in equal parts Chardonnay, Weissburgunder and Grauburgunder.

The red wines always ferment on the skin and lay in the oak barrel for up to 18 months before bottling. Weingut Huber has about 600 barrique barrels and replaces about 150 barrels each year.

Weingut Huber also produces sparkling wine – brut, of course, for Euro 16.50. A lot of the wines are in the 20, 30 or 40 Euro category. Weingut Huber is clearly interested in super premium wines and not in day-to-day easy drinking wines.

Let’s take the 2007 Hecklinger Schlossberg Spaetburgunder Grosses Gewaechs for Euro 45. Several factors come to play as was referred to during the tasting: the quality of the vineyard, the Hecklinger Schlossberg is a Erste Lage wine; the age of the vines, 6 to 35 years; the use of the barrique barrel, 18 months aged in barrique barrels, and, importantly, the yield limitation, 2800 liter per hectar.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Sauvignon Blanc produced in Germany was a few years ago completely unheard of. If we would drink a Sauvignon Blanc in Germany, we would turn to the Bordeaux or Loire wines. Today, Sauvignon Blanc is becoming a well established grape variety in Germany, although it is still a niche wine. Its stronghold are the Rheinhessen, Baden, Wuerttemberg and Pfalz regions. But surprisingly, the Sauvignon Blanc Trophy 2010 goes to wine producer in the Rheingau.

This was the fifth time that this contest for the best German Sauvignon Blanc was organized by the wine journalist Mario Scheuermann from Hamburg, Germany, in cooperation with the wine journal Falstaff. See here (in German).

Sauvignon Blanc originates from the Bordeaux and Loire regions in France. It is now planted in many of the world's wine regions.

In France, Sauvignon Blanc is grown in the maritime climate of Bordeaux (especially in Entre-Deux-Mers, Graves and Pessac-Leognan as a dry wine, and in Sauternes as a sweet wine) as well as the continental climate of the Loire Valley (as Pouilly Fumé, Sancerre, and Sauvignon de Touraine).

Sauvignon Blanc is one of only four white grapes allowed in the production of white Bordeaux AOC. In the Sauternes region, the grape is blended with Sémillon to make the noble-sweet Sauternes. The composition varies from producer and can range from 5-50% of Sauvignon Blanc, with the Château d'Yquem using 20%.

In Australia, particularly the Margaret River region, the grape is often blended with Sémillon. In the 1990s, Sauvignon Blanc wines from the maritime climatic regions of New Zealand became popular on the global wine market. In North America, California is the leading producer of Sauvignon Blanc with plantings also found in Washington State. There, wine produced from the Sauvignon Blanc grape is also known as Fumé Blanc, introduced by Robert Mondavi as an allusion to the French Pouilly-Fumé. Sauvignon Blanc is also gaining prominence in Austria, South Africa, Italy and Germany.

Around 80,000 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc are estimated to be planted worldwide, with the largest concentrations in France and New Zealand.

Sauvignon Blanc in Germany

Sauvignon Blanc is well established now in Germany after its introduction 10 years ago, but still only a niche wine. Germany's total vineyard area is about 100.000 hectares, of which some 600 hectares are planted with Sauvignon Blanc. Some 500 producers in all German wine regions, with the exception of Sachsen, Mittelrhein and Ahr, produce Sauvigon Blanc wines. The largest areas are in the Pfalz (224 hectares), Rheinhessen (130 hectares), Baden (82 hectares) and Württemberg (27 hectares).

The Top 20 German Sauvignon Blanc Wines - 2010

Here are the 2010 German Top 20 Sauvigon Blanc wine.

Platz 1 2009 Sauvignon blanc 17,6 Weingut Fred Prinz, Hallgarten, Rheingau. With Weingut Fred Prinz from Hallgarten, an Estate from the Riesling stronghold Rheingau won the Sauvignon Blanc Trophy in 2010. This is a sign that this grape is moving to the north. Its first home was Baden and Wuerttemberg, then it moved to the Pfalz and Rheinhessen, and now has arrived in the Rheingau.

Platz 2 2009 Element Sauvignon blanc 17,5 Wein- und Sekthaus Aloisiushof, St. Martin, Pfalz. Aloisiushof is one of the up-and-coming wine producers. It is very active in social media. It has not yet made it to the Gault and Millau grape classification, but I would expect Aloisiushof to receive the first grape in the next round of ratings.

Platz 32009 Sauvignon blanc Terra Rossa 17,4 Weingut Weedenbornhof, Monzernheim, Rheinhessen. Another up-and-coming wine producer. Does not yet have been awarded a grape in the Gault and Millau Guide, but it should receive one in the next round of ratings.

In Baden, the wine industry is dominated by wine co-operatives; they account for 85% of the region's production. Private winemakers are the exception. One of these exceptions is the Aufricht Estate. They started out as a member of a wine co-operative and became independent about 20 years ago, after the brothers Robert and Manfred Aufricht had taken over from their parents. Manfred, the younger of the two brothers, explained that all grapes are selectively hand-picked. For over ten years now the Aufrichts follow environmentally-friendly winemaking principles.

The Estate is located on the same latitude as Burgundy, on Lake Constance between Meersburg and Hagnau. The lake’s water reflects the sun like a mirror. The roots of the vines get their "food" from the glacial moraine of granite, limestone and gneiss of the Alps.

The vineyard area totals 24 hectares, with holdings in the Fohrenberg and Sängerhalde sites. The Aufricht brothers grow Pinot Noir, Lemberger, Pinot Madeleine and Regent, and Pinot Gris, Auxerrois,Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The Aufricht brothers were the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc again in the Lake Constance region. The top red wines are matured in barriques for several years. Bottle-fermented sparkling wines are also produced.

The wine list contains about 30 wines. Half of them are white wines, starting from Euro 7.40 and going up to Euro 17.40. The red wines start at Euro 7.90; most red wines do not go beyond Euro 10. One of the two exceptions is a 2007 Pinot Noir for Euro 30.50, which is the most expensive wine in the portfolio. Lake Constance wines are, in general, no bargain wines – but still very good deals by American standards.

The last years brought Robert and Manfred Aufricht worldwide recognition and honors. The Aufricht Estate has now 2 Grapes (out of 5) in the Gault Millau Wine Guide.

Maryland – with the large Chesapeake Bay – is indeed blessed with Blue Crabs which came in different forms, when you eat them at a Crab Shack. In addition, Maryland boast some interesting wineries that produce wine that go very well with Maryland Blue Crab dishes.

The Blue Crab

The blue crab is a crustacean found in the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Coast of Central America and the Gulf of Mexico. Male and female blue crabs can be distinguished by their "aprons", or their abdomens. Male crabs have a long, narrow apron, while mature female crabs have a wide, rounded one.
Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs

The Chesapeake Bay, located mainly in Maryland is famous for its blue crabs. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs undergo a seasonal migration; after mating, the female crab travels to the southern portion of the Chesapeake, fertilizing her eggs with sperm stored up from the last mating months or almost a year later. In November or December, the female crab releases her eggs. The crabs hatch in a larval form and float in the mouth of the bay for four to five weeks, then the juvenile crabs make their way back up into the bay.

Picture: Maryland

Four Ways to Eat Chesapeake Blue Crabs

Hard Shell Blue Crabs

Blue crabs are most often eaten in the hard shell. Steaming them in large pots with water, vinegar and seasoning is the norm on the East coast. You need the whole experience: the smell of steamed crabs in the air, a pile of large steamed blue crabs covered with Old Bay Seasoning, ready to be cracked with wooden mallets, accompanied by corn on the cob, plus a roll of paper towels and a metal bucket for tossing the empty shells.

The cooked crabs are cracked by hand, but most diners will use a small knife to pry the shell apart and cut the unwanted parts from the crab. The meat is pulled out and eaten directly.

Picture: Hard Shell Blue Crabs

Crab shells can be very sharp and because the interior of the crab comprises a series of compartments separated by a somewhat pliable but still sharp shell, getting the meat out is also a lot of work for the relatively small amount of edible crab meat.

Soft Shell Crabs

The Chesapeake Bay is famous for its soft-shell blue crabs. As crabs grow larger, their shells cannot expand, so they molt the exteriors and have a soft covering for a matter of days when they are vulnerable and considered usable. Crabs caught just after molting are prepared as soft shell crabs: first cutting out the gills, face, and guts; the crab is then battered in flour, egg, and seasoning, then fried in oil until crispy. The entire crab is consumed, legs and all.

Pictures: Soft Shell Crabs

Usually crabs must be eaten within four days of molting to be useful as soft-shell crabs. They begin to rebuild their shells after that, and when eaten, have a thin shell. These are often referred to as “papershells” or “tinbacks” and are more crunchy when eaten, making them less desirable.

This molting is highly seasonal and usually lasts from early May to July in the Chesapeake Bay. The soft shell season is longer in other regions.

Crab Cake

Crab cakes is another delicacy. Crab Cakes are basically Hamburgers made out of crab meat. We ate it recently as a starter with tomatoes and avocado on the side.

Picture: Maryland Crab Cake

Maryland Crab Soup

Usually I start my crab dinner with a Maryland Crab Soup. This is a kind of an Italian Minestrone with crab meat. The other fish soup I have come to like on the US East Coast is the New England Clam chowder. New England clam chowder is a milk- or cream-based chowder, traditionally made with potatoes, onion, bacon or salt pork, flour or hardtack, and clams.

Pictures: Maryland Crab Soup

Crab Shacks in the Washington Area

Where to crack into piles of steamed blue crabs? Here are my favorites in or close to the Washington DC area are:

Jimmy Cantler's: Be prepared for long waits on the weekends, but the tranquil riverside setting in Annapolis is worth it. Cantler's is about 45 minutes from DC. 458 Forest Beach Rd., Annapolis.

Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant and Crab-house: a favorite place for Harley riders and RocknRoll lovers on the shores of the Potomac, about an hour south of Washington DC. 1510 Cherryhill Road, Dumfries

Bethesda Crab House: A Bethesda favorite that has been around for 50 years. 4958 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda

Maine Avenue seafood market: You can pick up live crabs to steam at home or buy some already steamed at the Washington DC seafood market on Maine Avenue at the Potomac river. It is a fascinating place. 1100 Maine Ave.

Pictures: Crab Claw in St. Michaels

Maryland Wines

There are 41 wineries licensed in Maryland. Boordy Vineyards is Maryland’s oldest winery, established in 1945. Since then, the Maryland wine industry has grown rapidly and now consists of more than 40 wineries. Still, Maryland is a very small wine producer, with only about 100 hectares of vineyard area.
St. Michaels Winery

St. Michaels Winery is located in the Chesapeake Bay resort town of St. Michaels. It was founded in 2005.

The wines are crafted from grapes grown in the 28-year-old vineyard in nearby Wye Mills and a newly acquired vineyard in Henderson, Maryland. In addition. St. Michaels also use grapes from 5 other Maryland growers, as well as regional and national growers.

St. Michaels Winery Long Splice perfectly combines Seyval - a French-American hybrid - with Chardonnay grapes, all lovingly grown in our vineyard near St. Michaels. Drink dry, crisp Long Splice with dishes using garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes. Acidic and dry, it combines well with salty foods. Great with oysters.

Chenin Blanc

This dry Chenin Blanc leads with gorgeous florals, then pops with zesty acidity and finishes with honeyed florals — quite the performance. Excellent with sushi, seafood and white meats.

Pinot Grigio

Our Pinot Grigio is fruity, flinty and crisp, and this Pinot pairs well with sharp cheeses, garlicky dishes and roast chicken.

Sauvignon Blanc

Bronze Medal Winner in the 2006 Governonrs Cup, St. Michaels Winery Sauvignon Blanc has light, crisp notes of melon, apple, and tart plum. Pairs well with dill cheese, herbal seasonings, and fried or white fish in a light cream sauce.

Chardonnay

An unoaked Chardonnay with snappy, fresh notes of lemon and grapefruit, this dry wine pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese, pecan-crusted catfish, and all types of seafood. Stands up to creamy sauces. Especially nice with fried oysters.

Viognier

St. Michaels Winery Viognier melts on the tongue with sumptuous, flowery notes of lavender and orange blossoms, at once herbaceous and grassy, buttery and crisp. This once-rare wine is making a comeback, with over 2,000 California acres planted to the grape, up from just 30 French acres in 1960. Viognier is still hard to come by, and a treat once you find it. Pairs well with steak, Asian or Indian food, or pork tenderloin in Dijon mustard sauce.

A Nice Dry Rosé

Our dry Rosé, made from Pinot Noir grapes, bursts with fresh strawberry and crispness. Served chilled, it pairs beautifully with a light avocado salad, spicy vegetable couscous or crab seasoned with Old Bay.

Island Belle Sangiovese

Named after the historic log canoe Island Belle, our sangiovese is light bodied with a clean finish. It is perfect with grilled chicken, pasta salad with pesto, or barbecued pork ribs.

Syrah

St. Michaels Winery's sexy Syrah sashays forth with forest blackberry, light smoke and licorice flavors. It can take a flank steak in an Asian marinade, barbecued country pork ribs or smoked salmon with a grainy mustard sauce.

These grapes journeyed down the Chesapeake Bay in the Skipjack Martha Lewis from Havre de Grace, MD. They have been oak-aged to form this soft and slightly spicy wine. Pairs well with pasta in red sauce, lamb or beef with mushroom sauce, or a roasted turkey dish.

The grapes for our Maryland Cabernet were lovingly grown in our vineyard in nearby Wye Mills, at a quarter-century old, the most mature on the Eastern Shore. Our Maryland Cab’s light and graceful finesse, slightly smokey, pairs it perfectly with pasta in red sauce, risotto, veal or pork, or mildly spicy fusion dishes. (Not available for wholesale.)

Cabernet Sauvignon

Our California Cab, refined in French oak, has a full berry richness and mild tannins. It pairs it perfectly with lightly spicy fusion dishes, fine blue cheese, game, beef or barbecue.

Pinot Blanc

Pinot Blanc is a variation of Pinot Gris and related to Pinot Noir. This grape is still an outsider to U.S. wine culture, but not for long. A light, soft, rounded wine with a gentle perfume of grapefruit, pineapple, apple and hints of spice. Perfectly balanced between dry and sweet, St. Michaels Winery Pinot Blanc is versatile with food pairings. Try it with fish, chowder, chicken, and pasta with creamy sauces.

St. Michaels White -- Vidal, Maryland Eastern Shore

This wonderfully balanced, slightly sweet white wine offers the natuarl fruitiness of the vidal blanc grape with hints of citrus. Wonderful for sipping on a carefree afternoon, or pairing with a seafood salad with raspberry dressing.

Gollywobbler Red

This fun, fruit-forward wine is made with a combination of Concord grapes and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. A great picnic red with hints of lime and lemon. Drink it well chilled over crushed ice, or as a spritzer or martini.

Gollywobbler Pink

The newest addition to our Gollywobbler family... A fun-filled blush created by blending our Niagara and Concord grapes. The perfect blend for those hot summer days by the pool.

Gollywobbler White

Made with Niagra grapes and a large dose of fun. Drink Gollywobbler White on the rocks with pineapple and citrus; mixed with juice and club soda; in a white Sangria, or as a martini. A great picnic wine.

Chocolate Zinfandel

The sin ... is in the zin. Sumptuous chocolate mixed with oak-barreled Zinfandel equals “Mmmm.” Drink Chocolate Zin as an after-dinner delight, with chocolate mousse and raspberry sauce, or as dessert.

The Wein und Sektgut Barth in Hattenheim, Rheingau, has released the first ever German sparkler made from a Erstes Gewaechs base wine. The novelty was named Barth Primus. I had a chance to taste the Barth Primus with Norbert Barth a few weeks ago in Germany at the Barth Estate.

Germany’s Sparklers

Germany is one of the largest sparkling wine markets in the world, which is not well know around the world. Germans drink lot of sparkling wines, although in general less quality-conscious than the French. One out of four bottles of sparkling wine is consumed in Germany, roughly 500 million bottles. Sekt is made in all German wine regions, both in the méthode traditionnelle and charmat method. There are three groups of Sekt makers: (i) large and (ii) smaller Sekt houses, who only make Sekt and (iii) winemakers, who make predominantly wine, but complement their wine selection by a few Sekts. The Sekts produced by large Sekt estates tend to be in the demy-sweet and sweet range, while the Sekts of smaller estates and the wine makers are mostly in the brut and extra brut range.

Picture: Barth Vineyard in Hattenheim

There is a dozen or so large Sekt houses. Most of these large Sekt houses were established in the 1800s. At that time, there was only one method known to produce Sekt, the méthode traditionnelle. But in contrast to the champagne houses, the large Sekt houses have all moved to the charmat method as main method of the second fermentation after World War II. Like the champagne houses, Sekt houses do not own vineyards, but purchase the base wine from winemakers.

The smaller Sekt houses, like the large Sekt houses, do not own vineyards, but also buy the base wine from winemakers. They also tend to have a long history and often links to the champagne region, beautiful facilities and old cellars for the second fermentation and storage. The big difference is that they typically have not gone the route of tank fermentation but continue to ferment in the méthode traditionnelle.

Increasingly, there is a number of top quality winemakers, who, in addition, to their still wines, have started to include Sekts in their portfolio. These Sekts are typically vintage Sekts, from a specified vineyard, made of specific grapes, often Riesling, in the méthode champenoise and with little or not dosage (brut or extra but). While the first fermentation typically takes place at the winery, the second fermentation is often not in the cellar of the winemaker but in the cellar of a Sekt house that bottle-ferments for other wineries.

Grosses/Erstes Gewaechs Wines

The Grosse Gewaechs and Erstes Gewaechs wine concepts were introduced a few years ago. These terms basically mean the same thing but for some reasons the latter is used in the Rheingau and the former in all other wine regions. We are talking about fully fermented, dry wines of exceptional quality, like the Grand Cru wines in neighboring France.

Picture: Norbert Barth, Tasting

It should be noted that as a rule Grosse Gewaechs and Erstes Gewaechs wines are always sold as QbA wines – Qualitaetswein besonderer Anbaugebiete, which often American consumers do not touch. QbA wines, under German law, are allowed to be chaptalised, with the purpose of increasing the alcohol content of the wine. More than half all German wines are QbA wines.

Hattenheim in the Rheingau

It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions. Hattenheim lies about in the middle of the Rheingau wine region, close to the famous Eberbach Abbey. Eberbach Abbey dates back to the 12th century, was erected by monks of the Zisterzienser order from Clairvaux in Burgundy and is known for its Steinberger Vineyard.

Wein und Sektgut Barth

The Barth Estate is one of the leading wine producers of Hattenheim. The Estate was founded in 1948 and Norbert Barth, the current owner and manager, took it over in 1987.

Aside from growing vines in some of the Rheingau's famous vineyards, the Estate is particularly well known for its stellar Sekts, produced according to the traditional champagne method. After the first fermentation, the base wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. It is then stored for 24 months and hand riddled, creating a Sekt of highest quality.

The 2007 Barth Riesling Erstes Gewaechs Hattenheimer Hassel served as base wine for the Barth Primus. "The project is exciting because it is not easy to own sparkling wine so voluminous - a first for us. We are proud to be the best thing that has to offer a Riesling turn, then, "said Norbert Barth.

Picture: Barth Primus Magnum

The Barth Primus will be presented to the general public and auctioned off on September 25 in the Eberbach Abbey, as part of the traditional VDP autumn auction.

Norbert Barth made a total of 470 Magnum bottles (1.5 liter), signed and numbered them.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Picture: Wine Tasting of the German Wine Society at the National Press Club in Washington DC

German Wine Society

The German Wine Society is a group of dedicated lovers of German wine with chapters in several US centers, including in Washington DC that meets regularly to taste and enjoy German wine together, but also more generally to promote the understanding, appreciation and knowledge of German wines in the US.

I have been a member of the German Wine Society since the 1980s. Last year, I was elected to the Board of the Washington DC Chapter. If you have any questions concerning the German Wine Society, please drop me an e-mail at cgeschiller@gmail.com (in German or English).

In August, the monthly tasting of the Washington DC Chapter took place at the National Press Club. It was lead by James Kellaris, who, among other things, has been with Rudi Wiest for several years, one of the leading importers of German wine in the US.

The National Press Club, a private club for journalists and communications professionals, has been a Washington institution for more than a century. The Club is known as “The Place Where News Happens." Leaders in government, politics and business speak here at public and private events because the press is here.

The Club has more than 3,500 members, including journalists from every major news organization. Journalists work at the Club every day. Some also have their offices in the Press Building or close by at Treasury, the White House or on the Hill.

The Wines Were Selected and Presented by James Kellaris

This was an outstanding selection and presentation by James. I have seen many presenters, who were well versed with the niche of German wine that is so popular in this country - sweet Kabinett and Spaetlese wines, in particular those from the Mosel - but knew relatively little about the other market segments. James definitely does know what is going on in all segments of fine wine in Germany, as reflected in his wine selection and his presentation.

Picture: James Kellaris

The American market for German wines was initially dominated by cheap and sweet mass wines, like Blue Nun. Then came the boom for low alcohol and sweet Mosel Kabinett and Spaetlese Riesling wines, or more generally, for light, sweet German Rieslings, successfully pushed by importers like Therry Theise. These wines are just a small segment of the German wine production. Yet, they continue to dominate the American market for fine German wines.

Grape Varieties Other Than Riesling

Not all the wines we tasted were Rieslings. Of course, Riesling is the king of German grapes. But there are other grapes, which are popular in Germany, like Silvaner or Grauburgunder. These other white grape varieties are largely absent from the American market. American lovers of German wine go mainly for Riesling, in particular sweet Riesling. In Germany, wine drinkers also choose other grapes than Riesling, as James pointed out. Therefore he had included in the tasting a delicious Silvaner from the Franken region. Still, the large majority of the wines we tasted were Rieslings.

Rarely do we see red German wine at our tastings, but his time we did. There is a red wine boom in Germany. The share of red wines in terms of production has increased from 10 percent in the 1980s to about 35 percent now in Germany. Of course, given its location, the German red wines tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. 30 years ago, in the international scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this has changed. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world. The red wine boom has not yet reached the US and it is very difficult to find these wines in the US.

Picture: At the Tasting, with James Kellaris

Sweet versus Dry Wines

Many in the US equate fine German wines with sweet wines, in particular sweet wines from the Mosel. The Mosel is well known for producing light and sweet Kabinett and Spaetlese wines that are made sweet and low in alcohol by stopping the fermentation. They are very special and very popular in the American market. Sure, they have their followers in Germany. But when you go, for example, to the Grand Cru Wine Bar in Frankfurt, they have 12 German wines by the glass. None of these wines is sweet or from the Mosel. The typical fine wine drinker in Germany rarely opens a sweet Mosel Riesling, but drinks a dry wine from other wine regions. In the Baden region, for example, which is basically absent from the American market, it is almost impossible to find a sweet wine. Generally, the structure of the portfolio of say MacArthur or any other American retail wine store in the US is very different from the structure of the portfolio of a wine store in Germany. In Germany, dry wines dominate. In the US, it is the opposite - sweet wines dominate.

James successfully aimed at a compromise, with half of the wines being dry and the other half with some remaining sugar.

Picture: Members of the German Wine Society Arriving for the Tasting

In the group he called the reserve category, James presented a Grosses Gewaechs, a bone dry wine at Auslese level (in terms of the sugar content at harvest) and a delicious regular Spaetlese by the Gault and Millau winemaker of the year, Tim Froehlich, which, I assume was made sweet by a combination of stopping the fermentation and adding sterilized juice. Both were outstanding wines.

Grosses and Erstes Gewaechs (Grand Cru) Wines

The German elite winemakers - the VDP winemakers - have introduced the concepts of Grosses Gewaechs. These are at a minimum Spaetlese and mostly Auslese wines, bone dry, expensive, of course, and they do not yet have many followers in the American market. James’ tasting included a Grosses Gewaechs from Weingut Armin Diehl in the Nahe region.

Picture: National Press Club Plate

Driven by the objective to restore the prestige of Germany’s significant vineyards and to help the consumer in terms of distinguishing dry from sweet wines, the VDP members introduced the concept of Grosses Gewaechs a few years ago. In a first step, all vineyards were rated and the best parcels of them were identified as Erste Lage (First Site). Second, the Grosse Gewaechs concept was launched. A Grosses Gewaechs wine is always fully fermented and dry. And in terms of the sugar content of the grape at harvest, it has to be at the Spaetlese or Auslese level, although the label always just indicates QbA. This gives the winemaker the possibility to chaptalize in order to increase the alcohol content in the wine, if desirable.

The Grosse Gewaechs label is thought to resemble the Grand Cru designation in neighboring France. Here and there, these wines are dry. Grosses Gewaechs refers to a top dry wine from a top vineyard.

Finally, the Rheingau does not use this concept, but the concept of Erstes Gewaechs, which basically means the same. Erstes Gewaechs wines can not only be produced by VDP members, but by all winemakers.

The New VDP Classification System

James explained that the VDP winemakers have introduced a new wine classification system, with different approaches for dry and sweet wines.

Basically, all dry wines are labeled as QbA (Qualitaetswein besonderer Anbaugebiete) wines. The level of quality is then expressed by the terroir principle; the narrower the specification, the higher the quality of the wine is. The ripeness of the grapes at harvest as an indication of quality is on the backburner. The top dry wines are Grosses Gewaechs wines from Erste Lage vineyards.

For sweet wines, the traditional wine classification of Kabinet, Spaetlese and Auslese is followed, and of course, also for the noble-sweet wines. The ripeness of the grapes at harvest is the key quality factor.

Picture: James Kellaris Checking the Wines

This is all new for the American consumers; they need to be educated. American drinkers of fine German wine usually do not touch QbA wines and only go for the Kabinet and upwards quality levels.

The Tasting

Here are the wines we tasted, with James’ food recommendations and the food actually prepared by the National Press Club Chef.

Pfeffingen Dry Riesling 2007 (Pfalz) - This wine is a bit heavier and can handle poultry, earthier flavors of mushrooms and brinier shellfish, such as mussels or oysters.

Becker Pinot Noir 2007 (Pfalz) - Good spot for a protein like duck, veal, or roasted game bird. Mushroom, garlic, root veggies will bring out the fruit tones of this wine. If you're going for an Asian duck preparation, just watch out for the sweeter sauces, as this will overpower the wines. Simple savory flavors are key.

I would like to do all three of these as one course. This will be a great comparison and will also keep the event flowing in terms of timing and duration. Great midway segment.

JJ Pruem Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2007 (Mosel) - This will be the lightest in body of the Kabinetts. I would use light spice. Wasabi is fine, a touch of heat. Stick with scallops or shrimp if you're doing a protein. But stay delicate.

Food: Spicy Szechwan Chicken Skewer with hot mustard

Gunderloch "Jean Baptiste" Riesling Kabinett 2008 (Rheinhessen) - A bit richer. Same level of medium-dry character. I would say we're in chicken territory for the level of protein. This can handle light spice but stay away from red pepper based spice, as it's too heavy.

Schlossgut Diel Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Grosses Gewaechs 2006 (Nahe) - Richest and heaviest dry wine. You can even do Vietnamese beef preparations here, provided it is savoury and not spicy. Pork is great, but stick with garlic and noodle/starch preps to cut the acidity, etc.

Food: Japanese Beef Rolls (Negi Maki)

Schaefer Froehlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spatlese 2008 (Nahe) - fully spicy dishes will work here. However, watch for too much natural sweetness in the food, as the wine will have sweetness in itself. The goal is to match the relative sweetnesses here.

Wine Tours

About Me

I live in the greater Washington DC (US) and Frankfurt am Main (Germany) areas and write about wine. I am a member of the FIJEV (International Federation of Wine and Spirits Journalists and Writers). Before starting to write about wine in 2009, I was for almost 30 years an economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). I am currently in Washington DC.